


Ephemeral Seasons

by cherrytail



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Mystery, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:28:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25262362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrytail/pseuds/cherrytail
Summary: Every local would receive a letter from Alitheia someday, informing them when they are almost ready to enter the portal and the date they had to leave Primalios for good. Despite the lack of knowledge about the Portal of Life in Alitheia, it's a known fact that entering the portal is always a good thing for those involved."A new beginning!" The locals would say. Wonpil had always found it strange that those who received the letters did not express much reluctance to leave Primalios and enter a portal that they know nothing of, but like the other locals, he didn't question it. After all, nobody had a definite answer.
Relationships: Kim Wonpil/Everyone, Kim Wonpil/Other Day6 (Band) Member(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: Day6





	Ephemeral Seasons

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my first time writing a fic. i've always had lots of ideas, but never knew how to execute them. i'm giving it a shot this time because i feel like it'd be a fun journey. my writing may not be the best now, but i hope to gradually improve as i write more! :D 
> 
> not sure what else to type but thank you for reading this chapter! & i love day6

_primavera_ \- spring

_ílios_ \- sun

❀

It's a rainy Saturday in Primalios. 

Wonpil presses his head against the window, looking at the view that gradually blurs as the rain pours down relentlessly. Soon enough, the scenery blurs into a mix of soft blue and green hues. Clusters of vibrant coloured flowers can be spotted among the blur. Wonpil thinks it's amazing that flowers in Primalios never die, despite not knowing why. 

Wonpil takes a deep breath and leaves the bedroom after a few minutes. He makes sure to put on a smile before heading into the living room. 

Wonpil has never been great at hiding his true feelings, but he decides that he needs to hold everything back today. Just for today. For _her_ , and himself.

❀

"Good morning Wonpil, your favourite person made your favourite dish for breakfast!" Yeeun chirps as she leaves the kitchen, carrying a large bowl of kimchi fried rice. 

"But I don't remember making breakfast for myself..?" Wonpil teases, earning him a punch on his arm. "Ow! I don't remember having a bully as my sister either!"

Yeeun laughs and pushes a plate towards Wonpil. He scoops up several spoonfuls of fried rice into his plate and stares at the pile. 

"So this is the last time I'll ever eat my favourite dish with my favourite person." Wonpil mumbles as he slowly brings his spoon to his mouth. 

Noticing that Yeeun is looking at him with concern, Wonpil quickly smiles. He doesn't want her to be sad today.

Yeeun smiles back and continues eating. 

Both of them have their breakfast while chatting endlessly like they usually do. This time, however, they take an extra fifteen minutes to finish their meal. The siblings won't admit that they don't want this moment to end too quickly. But Yeeun understands that all things have to come to an end someday. 

She's the first to stand up and clear the dining table.

❀

After dressing up, Wonpil and Yeeun head out into the village. The rain had stopped some time ago. A comfortable silence envelopes them before Wonpil breaks it. 

"Can't you stay?"

Yeeun pats his head gently. "I wish I could, but you know how this works. I really don't want to leave you."

Wonpil holds back his tears. "Yeah." His voice cracks slightly, but Yeeun pretends not to notice.

Soon, they arrive at their destination. An assortment of flowers surrounds the area like a huge rainbow on the ground. The pitter-patter of raindrops falling from the tall trees nearby can be heard. Wonpil jumps in surprise as a raindrop lands with a plop onto his head. There is a variety of food arranged in front of them, with colourful decorations and a large banner that reads "Congratulations!". 

The locals have planned a farewell party for Yeeun in the heart of the village. They welcome Wonpil and Yeeun with big smiles and wide arms. 

"We'll miss you so much!" A local exclaims, offering Yeeun a cup of jasmine tea. 

"I'll miss you so much more, I can't believe my time has come.." She says with a sad smile. 

The locals all crowd around the siblings, each of them having something to say to Yeeun. Everyone in the village knows how great of a person she is, and they all have never-ending speeches prepared for her. Wonpil's hand wraps around the piece of paper in his pocket. He decides that now is not a good time to give it to Yeeun.

Wonpil excuses himself and finds a secluded area to be alone with his thoughts. He sits on the dry side of a bench and leans back, letting his body relax. He doesn't want time to pass - he just wants to be with his beloved sister forever. But Wonpil knows that this is a good thing for Yeeun. Everybody has to enter the portal someday.

Wonpil recalls all the memories he shared with Yeeun.

❀

Wonpil was seven and Yeeun was ten. He wanted to prepare a nice breakfast for Yeeun since it was her birthday, but his parents wouldn't allow him to go near a stove or oven. All he could do was take a box of cereal and a carton of cold milk. "Mix them together, and you're done! Cereal cereal, milky goodness!" Wonpil sang to himself as he started pouring cereal into a bowl. Then, he remembered that Yeeun always told him how cereal was more delicious when the milk was poured first. He cringed every time, saying that she was a monster. Though Wonpil was strongly against the thought of pouring milk before the cereal, he grabbed another bowl and poured milk into it. Wonpil was just about to transfer the cereal into the milk when he felt a tingling sensation on his arm. 

A spider was crawling up his arm. 

Wonpil let out a scream and knocked both bowls off the table by accident. His parents rushed out of their room and gasped at the mess in the kitchen. They immediately ran to Wonpil and checked whether he was injured. While his mother was cleaning up the mess, Wonpil looked at his father with teary eyes. "Daddy, this was for Yeeun's birthday, I ruined it.." 

His father put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, we can all do it together before Yeeun wakes up!" He points at the table. "See, mummy is done cleaning up. There's still cereal and milk left, let's prepare a nice breakfast for her, okay?" 

Wonpil beams immediately with a quick nod. He poured the milk into the bowl carefully while constantly looking around him to see if the spider was gone. A few minutes later, his parents walked out of their room with a gift box in hand. The family arranged the table nicely and decorated it with a vase of flowers and some confetti. They decided that all of them would have cereal for breakfast. As if it was planned, Yeeun entered the living room just as they were about to finish. She grinned at the sight as they sang Happy Birthday to her. 

"Wonpillie, did you pour the milk before the cereal?" Yeeun asked as she ate her cereal. 

"Yeah! But only for Yeeun's birthday!"

She smiled. "Now you're a monster too!"

The family of four enjoyed their breakfast, never bringing up the small accident that happened before. Wonpil would later find out that Yeeun had seen what happened before that, but pretended not to know as Wonpil had a tendency to blame himself for even the smallest matters despite his young age.

When Wonpil turned sixteen, Yeeun was nineteen. It was the 22nd of April, six days before Wonpil's birthday. It was also the day that their parents had to leave. Forever. It was their turn to enter the portal.

Everyone knew the existence of the portal. "Someday, we'll all have to pass through the Portal of Life." Wonpil recalled his mother saying.

"But what happens then?" Wonpil asked.

"Nobody knows. But all of us are waiting for our time to come."

Every local would receive a letter from Alitheia someday, informing them when they are almost ready to enter the portal and the date they had to leave Primalios for good. Despite the lack of knowledge about the Portal of Life in Alitheia, it's a known fact that entering the portal is always a good thing for those involved. "A new beginning!" The locals would say. Wonpil had always found it strange that those who received the letters did not express much reluctance to leave Primalios and enter a portal that they know nothing of, but like the other locals, he didn't question it. After all, nobody had a definite answer.

They all stayed up through the night, playing board games and watching movies. During a game of Monopoly, Wonpil glanced at his parents' hands which were clasped tightly together. He saw many wrinkles on his father's hand, each wrinkle serving as a reminder of a happy year that had passed while he was in Primalios. Wonpil then gazed at his mother's hand. There were scars and blisters on his mother's hand, reminding Wonpil of the times where she would carry warm, homecooked food to the dining table with her bare hands. All Wonpil wanted to do was hold them tightly and never let go.

After a while, Wonpil fell asleep and dreamt that he was the only person left in Primalios. The silence that echoed around him was terrifying. He woke up and cried as soon as he saw that his family was still there. But his relief didn't last long, as it was about time to send their parents off.

The locals prepared a farewell party for their parents. It was a custom to celebrate the departure of every villager unless requested otherwise. Some people just didn't want to make it harder for themselves to let go. But Wonpil's parents have already accepted the fact that their time had come. His mother's exact words were, "Some goodbyes don't have to be sad. This is a goodbye that can't be avoided. We've already come to terms with the fact that it's time for us to go. We'll probably cry when we see the locals, but it's only right to have a proper farewell. For everyone." It wasn't anything profound, but Wonpil remembered her words, hoping that it would be less painful for him to let go if he repeated them in his mind.

Unfortunately, Wonpil didn't feel any better. 

He felt like crying on the way to their destination. He felt like crying when he looked at his parents, trying to etch their kind faces into his mind. He felt like crying when his parents hugged and kissed him before entering the village. He felt like crying when they had to leave him outside of the village as he was too young to enter. He cried when they entered the village and he was all alone. Just like the nightmare he had.

Wonpil sat down on a bench, trying to sort out his feelings. His eyes rest upon a sign that read, "Welcome to Alitheia". There was another sign beside it that read, "People below the age of eighteen are advised to wait outside." 

"Damn. I can't even send them off because I wasn't born two years earlier?" Wonpil muttered, kicking a pebble. As much as he understood that there were risks associated with people below eighteen entering the village, he still wanted to send his own parents off. Didn't his mother tell him that it's only right to have a proper farewell? Did he send them off properly, with no regrets? When his time comes, will he walk into the portal all alone?

Wonpil closed his eyes, feeling his heart crumble into tiny pieces.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yeeun walked out of the village. She sat quietly beside Wonpil and wiped his tears away with a finger. 

"It sucks that Alitheia has an age restriction, what's up with that?" Yeeun let out a huff.

"Dad and mom love you. When they were standing in front of the portal, they suddenly looked so calm. I can't really explain it, but I could tell that they were truly happy." Yeeun said quietly. She hugged Wonpil.

"I'm still here for you."

Though Wonpil's heart was still shattered, those words brought the pieces a tiny bit closer to one another. 

They walked home in silence. Not a word was exchanged for the rest of the day.

Soon, it was Wonpil's birthday. He thought that time would heal all wounds, but six days wasn't enough. And six months probably wouldn't be enough as well. Maybe six years? He wasn't sure. All he could think of was his parents, who always treated him with kindness. 

"They are happy there. They are happy there." Wonpil repeated in his mind as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

Yeeun knocked on the door. "Wonpil, the locals bought some presents for you! Let me in before my hands break!"

Wonpil hurriedly let Yeeun in. There was a mountain of presents in her hands. She put them down on his bed with a groan and stretched her sore arms. 

Wonpil sighed. "Thanks. I'll open them later." He sat down on an empty area beside the presents. 

Yeeun sensed that he was still sad. Of course, she wasn't fine as well, but it was her precious brother's birthday. She needed to be strong for him.

Yeeun scanned the pile on his bed and placed a present with silver wrapping into Wonpil's lap. There were tiny frog stickers all over the wrapping. "It's from.." She opened the card attached to the present. "Junhyeok!" 

Wonpil turned to his sister as soon as he heard the familiar name. "I haven't met him since February! I should ask him out for a meal soon." He immediately read the card written by his close friend of ten years and grinned. "And he says he misses me!"

When Wonpil unwrapped the present, he let out a gasp. "A pink sweater?! It's so cute!"

Yeeun held back a laugh as she watched Wonpil hold it out in front of a mirror. Cute was the last word she would use to describe the sweater, but she figured that he didn't need to know that. After all, Wonpil's smile was finally reaching his eyes. She would never tell him that the sweater was.. not exactly cute.

The mood in the room turned cheerful as the siblings opened the presents together. Wonpil's heart felt warm. The locals were good people. He made a mental note to buy them better gifts next time, especially for Junhyeok, who picked out the pink sweater for him. 

"They must've known that I'd be wallowing in sadness after mum and dad left." Wonpil remarked as he read another card that told him to cheer up. He sniffled and wiped his tears away.

Yeeun knew that those were tears of happiness. Not because of the presents, but because of how much the locals cared for him. 

The rest of the day was spent reminiscing about their childhood and binge-watching old cartoons. Wonpil felt fine for the first time since that day.

As long as Wonpil has Yeeun by his side, his heart will slowly mend itself. He wanted to stay in Primalios forever.

Four years have passed since then.

❀

Wonpil snaps out of his flashback. He realises that at some point, his hands found their way into the pockets of his coat. A sudden chill travels down his spine. He looks around, confused, but sees nothing out of the ordinary.

"Must've been my imagination."

He decides to walk back to the crowd and let himself enjoy the party. Or at least, he'll pretend to enjoy the party while trying to ignore the dull ache in his heart.

Wonpil does not notice that his body shivers slightly while standing up.

_Or the bunch of flowers that are gradually wilting beside the bench_.


End file.
